It’s one of the most talked about books of the current time, after Harry Potter of course, and I was one of the last to read it! I took me a while to get around the fact that I really needed to read it, and for a few reasons. Everyone had already told me about it; what it’s about, the characters, the general story line, if they liked Peeta or Gale and basically everything else there was to know about the book. I have to admit, I thought that I was above reading it, and I couldn’t have been more incredibly wrong. I had thought that it was just one of those books with a flimsy story line, that we’ve all heard of a million times before. A book with terrible character development; characters that have nothing relatable about them, and that I continually find myself wondering if the author asked a five-year-old to describe their imaginary friend. Even worse, wondering if a five year old is the one who wrote the book, because of the terrible wording, and dialogues. Despite what I was expecting, none of these were the case in my experience of reading The Hunger Games.
This story is actually one of the most original ones I’ve read, the setting, the plot, everything. It’s set in the ruins of what was once North America, now called Panem, with twelve districts surrounding the Capitol; a cruel dictator over the twelve districts. The Capitol has its annual televised Hunger Games, in which each district has to send two children, one boy one girl, as tributes to fight to the death in an arena, the prize for winning; fame, and fortune. Our story follows Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl, who’s use to having to fight to survive, after the death of her father, her distant mother, and the poverty she lives in. It begins on Reaping day, the day when the tributes are chosen. Her little sister’s name, Prim, is drawn she steps up to take her place, which is an anomaly. Katniss now has to survive in the arena after she makes a promise to her sister that she will do everything in her power to win. The way Suzanne Collins sets up her plot line leaves a perfect place for her characters to develop.
Her characters are set in an interesting place, but she still manages to keep it pretty really, characters with flaws, that they have to overcome, and that make me hate them at times, like normal people. Katniss is a stubborn, independent, survivalist girl, but after Petta confesses his love for her, on national T.V. none the less, is she made “an object of love”. It’s makes it quite clear that Katniss doesn’t really know how she feels, she has to fight against him, and she feels that it has made her look vulnerable. In the arena we she a bit of her as a more compassionate figure, after she makes an alliance with a young girl from district 11, Rue; she tickles her, shares a sleeping bag, and confides in her, treating her as she would her own little sister. Katniss is a strong character, who honestly is lost, and doesn’t quite know what she’s wants, but she does know that she wants to leave the arena. The other characters we follow are Peeta, Haymitch, and a few people from the Capitol. Peeta, “lover boy”, knows what he wants, and that would be Katniss, and showing the Capitol that he’s not just a piece of their game. He is open, caring, and an all-around good guy, he develops by holding his ground, he doesn’t change one bit because of the games, he stays compassionate, and unchanging. Haymitch is a usually drunken character who is Katniss’s and Peeta’s coach through the Hunger Games. He’s kind of the epitome of alcoholism; he’s almost always drunk, and does the stupidest things when he is drunk, like falling of the stage on T.V. He has to overcome his drinking problem to help Katniss and Peeta survive in the games, which are watched by the Capitol people. These people are those that are used to having the easy life; on with ignorance, and never having to need for anything. They’re shielded from what goes on around them, they are like little children lost, and not really trying to be found. Their world is one that they don’t want to leave, because that’s all they’ve ever know. This is made really clear through the writing, which of course is essential in a book.
Words are of course what make up a book, and what make it a good one. This book is one of general seriousness, but I liked how there were just some bright parts in it, so we weren’t drowned in a serious mood the whole time. "You have as much charm as a dead slug", says Haymitch to describe Katniss. The wording doesn’t just lightening the mood, but the get thoughts across clearly, but with desire and meaning behind the words.” 'I protect Prim in every way I can, but I'm powerless against the reaping. The anguish I always feel when she's in pain wells up in my chest and threatens to register on my face. I notice her blouse has pulled out of her shirt in the back again and force myself to stay calm. "Tuck your tail in, little duck," I say, smoothing the blouse back in place. Prim giggles and gives me a small "Quack." This kind of just did everything it lightened the seriousness, and showed us that Katniss has feelings, and does care about someone.
This book was just straight up, amazing for a great number of reasons. The story was unique, not just some clone of every other book written in the last 10 years, it had a different setting and general plot. The characters had problems to overcome, and weren’t some perfect stereotypical hopeless damsel in distress, or a tough boy that has super human good looks, and is incredibly strong, but they’re believable. The words went along with what they character was feeling, and not awkward in the slightest, they made sense, and were meaningful, and served their purpose of letting us understand. This book was one that meets everything I look for in a book, and the only thing I regret is that I didn’t read it sooner.
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